Surrender
by The Prime Minister
Summary: SakuraLee. Sometimes you have to give up to win. Side story to Worth the Trouble.


A/N: This story is in the same grouping as "Worth the Trouble," just like "Confession" was. The events (namely the autumn festival) mentioned in this fic can be read in greater detail in "Worth the Trouble." Please enjoy. Reviews are always appreciated.

------------------------------------------------------

She watched the snow fall, the flakes resting like lace upon the houses and streets, an unfamiliar silence settling over the village. Snow almost never fell in Konohagurake, and as she stood in her quiet house, she wondered at the miracle. The streets were transformed into a different landscape entirely, and she felt excitement churn in her stomach, as if the rare occurrence would change the world somehow. It was like she was in a new, enchanted world, and all without leaving her home.

A knock on the door startled her out of her reverie, and she quickly glanced at the clock. It was time to meet the "nice boy," as her parents called him. For some reason they never commented on his looks, only his actions. She wished that she could do the same. Still, after years of casual contact, she had finally given in to his pleas. His devotion truly was touching, and his consistency was something she could rely upon in a time of constant upheaval. Besides, she really had a lovely time with him at the autumn festival. It had taken many bouquets, letters, and lovely dates to get her to go, which led most people, especially Ino, to say that they were an item. Well, they could think what they wanted. A part of her should remain focused on Sasuke. He had been her teammate and first love, after all. She had to admit, though, that seeing him again had not brought forth the emotions she had thought it would. He wasn't the same, and their relationship wasn't the same. Pity, sadness, and bitterness plagued the survival of the embers of feeling she tried so hard to keep alive. If she wasn't loyal to her teammates, what sort of ninja was she?

"Sakura-san?" she heard from the other side of the door, the sound ejecting her from her dark thoughts. "Are you there?"

Rushing to open the door, she stared at the apparition in front of her. Lee stood on the stoop, hat jammed down around his ears and wearing a scarf, puffy coat, and large boots. He looked her straight in the eyes, in spite of standing a few steps down from where she was. The hat was bright orange with green stripes, complete with large pom-pom on the top. What was worse was that the mittens and scarf matched the hat perfectly. "Hello, Lee," she said, trying not to stare. He was still wearing his bodysuit underneath all of it- she could tell. "You're bundled up well. Is it that cold outside?"

"No!" he replied, grinning. "But one shouldn't take chances. I dressed in layers to account for any change in the weather."

"Oh," she said, a slight frown creasing her brow. She really didn't know what to say to him. In spite of having been around him so often, she realized she didn't know him that well. Whenever she thought of him, which was becoming more often than she would have liked, all she could focus on was his ever-present enthusiasm and his gigantic eyebrows.

"Here," he announced, holding out a parcel. "I brought you something to commemorate this lovely day."

Raising her eyebrow, she gingerly took the package from him. "Do you want to come inside?"

"Thank you, but no. I would like to leave after you open it."

"Okay," she muttered, tearing off the pink tissue paper. Inside was a matching set of winter wear, which included a hat, mittens, and scarf. The items were white yarn with a delicate pink and green floral pattern on them, hints of red flowers adding a bit of visual interest. They were unbelievably soft to the touch. How could someone with such horrible personal taste pick out such a nice gift? "They're lovely," she said. "Thank you very much!"

A grin split his face in two. "I'm so happy you like them! They are the reason I was late. I hope you don't mind."

She decided not to tell him that she hadn't even noticed he was late. "It's fine," she replied.

"Put them on! We must go!"

Sakura grabbed a coat and pulled on some boots, laying the wrappings aside as she tucked the gifts under her arm. "Where are we going?" she asked, locking the door and putting the hat on. It didn't smash her hair too badly, she decided, and the wind really was a bit chilly.

"We're going to play in the snow! I think there's a whole three inches over by my training area. The wind seems to drift snow there." His expression was gentle as he looked down at her, and his face was so bright with happiness that she couldn't help but smile back. His cheeks and nose were slightly pink from the wind, and his dark eyes sparkled even in the gray light.

Okay, so their date would be a bit juvenile. That didn't bother her, did it? "All right," she said, following him as he blazed a path through the drifting flakes.

He stopped and looked at her. "Unless you'd rather do something else? I could take you to lunch? Or we could go shopping and I could buy you something pretty, or useful, or fun…"

She shook her head vehemently, happy that her hat didn't have a pom-pom to wobble around. "No, you already spend too much money on me. This way we can get some exercise, and then we can go back to my house for lunch."

His eyes widened as he broke out in a grin once more. "I would love that," he said, and for some reason she felt warmth spreading through her chest in spite of the cold day.

They walked side-by-side toward the training area, arms swinging in unison. Lee blushed and apologized when their mittens grazed accidentally, but she didn't say anything in return. Thoughts meandered through her head as she strolled alongside him, the rhythmic crunching of their boots in the snow marking their passage. The sound was almost hypnotic, and she found herself remembering all sorts of random things. Mostly, however, she was thinking about the autumn festival. He had acted so gallantly, and he was an incredible dancer. Plus, Lee was so outgoing, far more so than she was, and it made being around him easy. She could remember the way his fingers felt as they danced. They were rough and strong, and it was one of the few times she had seen them unbandaged. There were myriad abrasions and scars on his hands, and his knuckles were calloused, but the fingers were long and square at the ends without being thick. His touch against her back as he moved her about had been gentle but assertive. She hated to admit it, but he had taken her breath away.

"Sakura-san!" Lee cried, and she gasped as she looked up. He had a devilish smile on his face, and he was winding up, as if to throw something. A snowball shot through the air and hit her thigh just above the knee.

Her face reddened as she glared at him, her teeth clenched. "Lee," she growled, picking up handfuls of snow and packing it as tightly as she could. Hurtling the snowball, it went rocketing towards Lee, whose eyes had grown wide and frightened. Flinging himself to the side, he dodged the snowball as it ripped past him, landing against a tree several yards behind him. The snowball hit with incredible force, sending a crack running vertically up the tree. Lee's head whipped around to face her.

"That was awfully hard, Sakura-san," he said. "I didn't throw mine nearly so hard. That would have hit my face-"

It was too late. Sakura was running at him at full speed, focused on his waist. He yelped as she tackled him, plunging them both into a snowdrift. Lee spluttered as snow surrounded them, sticking in his eyelashes as he struggled. "This'll teach you," she grumbled, gathering handfuls of snow as quickly as she could. She promptly stuffed several fistfuls down his jacket. Lee squealed as the snow touched his skin, writhing beneath her as she tortured him with cold.

"I-I-I'm s-s-sorry!" he moaned, hands coming up to protect his face. His skin was red where the snow touched it, and she released him in a moment of pity. The second she moved, his hands shot away from his face and grabbed her wrists, and before she could gasp she was on her back in the snow, her hair sticking to her face. "But I'm not too sorry!" he cackled, and began to tickle her. She giggled in spite of herself, wriggling in an attempt to get away.

"S-stop!" she gasped, eyes wide, and managed to get the bottom of her boot against his knee. Not aware of which way she was pushing, only conscious of her need to escape, she pushed his knee away, causing them both to grunt as he collapsed on top of her.

"Are you all right?" he asked, obvious concern fluttering across his face. Their noses were mere inches apart as she gazed into his eyes. Her body hummed with his proximity, and she noticed for the first time how nice he smelled. Lee was always tidy without being vain, and he was sincere in his concern for her. She smiled and closed her eyes, waiting.

She was actually disappointed when she felt him move away, surprised at the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Lee was standing in front of her, absolutely plastered with snow. He held out his hand, eyebrows drawn. "I'm fine," she said. "How are you?"

"Great!" he replied as she took his hand. He easily pulled her up to standing, holding her shoulder as he brushed her off. She blushed when his hand passed over her rear, but his intent was so utterly innocent that she wasn't offended.

"Let's build a snowman," she offered, and he nodded with a grin. An hour later they were finished, standing back and admiring their work.

"He needs something."

"You're right," Lee muttered, and removed his hat, placing it on the snowman's head. Lee's short ponytail, which she knew he had started to grow after she mentioned once she wondered what he would look like with long hair, was caked with snow and ice. His cheeks were the color of apples, making him look rugged and childish at the same time.

"He's lovely," she chuckled.

"Not as lovely as you," Lee whispered, and she wondered if she was supposed to have heard him. He turned to her, face open and earnest, and she wondered what was going on behind his round eyes. For all their time together they rarely talked about anything beneath the surface.

A shiver wracked her body, and she subconsciously leaned against him for warmth. His face softened and he gently put his arm around her. She didn't object. In fact, it was comforting. "Are you hungry?" she asked, even though she actually meant she was cold.

Lee, however, simply nodded. "I'm ready to go back," he replied, and his smile told her he understood. There was no rebuke about being a weakling unable to withstand the cold, no arrogant snort. She found that she didn't miss it. She could be herself, and that was enough. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she gently removed one of his mittens and one of hers, placing them on the stick arms of the snowman.

"We'll come back for them later," she said, brushing her knuckles against the back of his hand. He glanced down at her, face confused, but she merely nodded as the corners of her lips turned upward. Closing his eyes, his fingers gently entwined with hers, a great sigh leaving his body. When he looked at her again his face was shining.

They walked back to her house without a word passing between them. The streets were busier than during their outbound journey, but the town was still relatively quiet. A few people sent glances their way, but she found she didn't care. Lee was a good person, a kind and loyal person, and she didn't mind being seen with him.

When they arrived at her home she promptly removed their coats and hung them in the hall over a towel, doing the same with the boots. "I'll start a fire," Lee offered, hanging their scarves next to their coats.

"I'll fix lunch, then," she murmured. "Any requests?"

Lee laughed. "Not so long as it's something warm."

She smiled and meandered into the kitchen, pulling out some soup left over from the night before and warming it in her favorite bowls. If it had been someone besides Lee in her living room she would have worried that the fare was too simple, but she knew Lee wouldn't judge. Stopping for a moment, she wondered at the fact that he had grown into such a fine person. She knew some people who had been handed far more in their lives than he had and managed to do less with their lives.

As she entered the living room she nearly dropped the bowls, abruptly blushing and looking away. Lee sat in front of the fire, which was crackling nicely, the top of his bodysuit peeled away and hanging about his waist. Unable to resist peeking, she let her eyes slide back to him. The arm that reached out to stoke the fire was lean and muscular, and she realized she had never seen him without his bodysuit on. The awareness that she had never really seen Lee as a man before felt like a slap in the face as he turned, smiling at her. "Is this good enough?" he asked.

"Of course," she replied, setting the bowls on the small table behind him. It was then she saw why his bodysuit was peeled away. "Oh, you're soaking! You must be freezing!"

"I'll be fine," he grinned, giving her a thumbs-up, but she merely rolled her eyes. She could see the goosebumps on his skin. Scowling at him, she stormed out of the room and returned with some blankets.

"They'll be short on you, but they're not wet," she said, holding up a pair of her father's pants, which he accepted gratefully. "I'm sorry I don't have a shirt for you, but I brought some blankets."

"Thank you," he said, and she showed him the bathroom so he could change. She was seated at the small table when he returned, watching the steam curl up from her bowl of soup. "I left my clothes hanging in the tub. I hope that's all right," he told her, sitting across from her.

"That's fine," she replied, forgetting to eat as she watched the muscles in his torso move. Lee's body was incredible, and she couldn't believe she had never noticed. His commitment to taijutsu had given him the most incredible physique in the village, she was sure of it. He might not have been born with looks, but he had been born with a body.

"Sakura-san?" he asked, and she quickly brought her eyes up to his, a blush burning on her cheeks. "Are you all right?"

Her heart lurched in her chest. She wasn't sure she was all right, not anymore. There were too many indicators that something had changed, and she wasn't sure she wanted it to change back. "Why do you keep trying?" she asked. "I barely know you. We never talk about anything serious, and yet you're so loyal. Why?"

Lee set down his bowl, his eyes intense. "Because I adore you, Sakura-san. You're lovely, that's true, but you are also considerate, loyal, and kind. You have grown so much, even when it was difficult for you. You are a woman I can respect and admire, and yet you are not so distant that I can't talk to you. We don't need to talk. I know your soul, and you know mine. Regardless of what else happens between us, we'll always have that."

She struggled for air, her face burning so badly she wondered if she was developing a rash. Something in her heart opened and blossomed as she looked at him. His eyebrows were large, yes, but they were infinitely expressive. His eyes were shaped strangely, but the emotion in them was unmistakable. He would move heaven and earth for her, and not through any special talent, but through his sheer force of love and will. "Sometimes hard work wins over genius," she said, choking on her own words as tears filled her eyes. The ghosts in her heart were burned away by his smile as he reached across the table and took her hand. Rising, he led her to the couch in front of the fire, taking the bowls into the kitchen. When he returned, he sat down next to her and covered them both with a blanket, her head resting against his bare shoulder.

"I would do anything for you, Sakura," he whispered, lips brushing her forehead. "You make me the happiest man alive."

"Sometimes I guess a person has to surrender to win," she replied with a soft smile, and pressed her mouth to his.


End file.
